Window wall structure for railway cars



W. B. DEAN ETAL WINDOW WALL STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS June 6, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 13, 1965 ul l w. lllllllllllllllllllllllll l INVENTORS WALTER B. DEAN BY ALBERT G. DEAN WM R W AGEN June 6, 1967 w. B. DEAN ETAL WINDOW WALL STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 13, 1965 INVENTORS WALTER B. DEAN BY ALBERT G. DEAN WJA'M R. W

AGENT ilnited States Patent 9 3,323,471 WINDOW WALL STRUC'IURE FOR RAILWAY AR Walter B. Dean and Albert G. Dean, Narherth, Pa, as-

signors to The Budd Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 13, 1965, Scr. No. 486,640 Claims. (Cl. 165-401) This invention relates to a construction of vehicle bodies, particularly of the type used for railway cars. More particularly, the invention relates to the construction of curved side walls of vehicle. bodies around window openings and in regions between such openings.

One type of window construction which has previously been used in railway cars having curved side frames has utilized upstanding posts in the frames to transmit roof loads and side frame loads to the side sill forming part of the under-framing beneath the car. The curvature in each such post has matched that of the side frames and has introduced eccentricities responsible for adding torsion to the post. Such eccentricities have also produced bending in the belt rails and the window header rail, extending horizontally along the side frames of the car below and above the window margins. While in certain prior art construction the stresses due to eccentricities have been decreased, this has been done by greatly reinforcing the post, or by increasing its cross-sectioned area along the portions of the length of the post affected, thus increasing the overall weight of the car or otherwise increasing the number of members entering into the structure.

It is the principal object of this invention, therefore, to provide an improved side frame construction between adjoining windows of a railway car which avoids one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art arrangements and which has greater torsion resisting capabilities.

It is another principal object of this invention to provide a construction between adjoining windows in a railway car which is capable of resisting torsion and reducing the bending stresses transmitted to the side rail members of the side frame of the car.

Another principal object of this invention resides in side frame construction between adjoining windows which is of marked simplification and results in a reduction in the number of members entering into the structure while obtaining the same or greater torsion resisting capabilities than is obtainable by prior art construction of known type.

A further feature of the invention resides in a side frame construction between adjacent windows of a rail- Way car which is suitable for bench assembly as distinguished from known constructions in which the same is assembled during its incorporation into the remainder of the wall structure.

In accordance with the invention the window wall structure for a railway car is provided toresist horizontal shear between the roof of the car and its side girder forming a part of its underframe and comprises first and second curved stamping means having Window openings in opposite sides thereof, the same in face-to-face relation. The stamping means embrace opposite faces of the curved upright post in sandwich relationship therebetween. The window wall structure includes a plurality of splice means secured between said stamping means and along top and bottom margins of the latter to engage a plurality of stub post means disposed on opposite sides of said upright posts. The splice means extend beyond the stamping means to tie into belt rail structure disposed horizontally along the lower window margins and into a window ice header rail disposed along a top margin of the windows.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a small-scale, diagrammatic side elevation of a passenger railway car; 1

FIG. 2 is a great enlarged showing of the window wall structure of FIG. 1 enclosed within the rectangle indicated at FIG. 2 with sheathing omitted;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view greatly enlarged taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1.

The railway car 10' shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing is supported by trucks 15 and comprises a roof 16, side frames 17, and underframe 18. The side frames include a plurality of elongated window openings 19 disposed along the length of the car.

As seen in FIG. 4 the side frames 17 are of curved construction and include a plurality of upright posts 21 disposed between the windows along the length of the car. The lower end of each post is connected to the top flange 23 of side sill 22, the latter constituting an outer side support for the under frame 18. The roof 16 of the car includes a plurality of transverse roof members 25 whose ends are carried by longitudinal roof rails 27, and have their outsides covered and connected with a longitudinally corrugated roof sheathing 29. The upper ends of the upright posts 21 are shown in weight supporting engagement with the roof rail to transmit the roof loads to the side sills 22 below. A longitudinal structural panel 31 extends beneath the windows and is suitably secured to the posts along the length of the car and along its bottom marginal edge to the side sill 22. In a similar manner an upper corrugated letterboard panel 33 extends above the top margins of the windows and is secured to the upper portions of the posts 21.

In order for the entire car shell to serve as the weight carrying structure it is necessary that shear be carried by the side frame 17 between the roof 16 and letterboard serving as the top chord and the underframe 18 serving as the bottom chord. Because the letterboard 33, belt rail 63, and side sill 22 are not in a common plane eccentricities exist resulting in a moment about a vertical axis which can be resisted by transverse bending in the belt rail 27 and posts if the posts are far enough apart. Above and below the windows 19 these posts 21 (FIG. 2- 51, 52, 53, 54) are far enough apart but at section 3, the space between windows 19 is made narrow for minimum obstruction to vision. The moment due to eccentricity is best resisted by torsion in this restricted space so a box section is provided by a deadlight panel assembly 37 provided in accordance with the invention and as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 includes an outer panel 38 and an inner panel 39 disposed in face-to-face relation for suitable welding engagement with the inner and. outer flanges 41, and 43 respectively, of post member 21 which is of Z-shaped cross-section. The opposite sides of each panel includes a semi-circular cutout portion indicated as at 45, which includes an inwardly offset flange portion indicated as at 46. The offset flange portions 46 of the inner and outer stampings may be suitably welded in facing engagement one with another as at 47 and together define a rim or margin for the window construction 19. The panel stampings as seen in FIG. 4 are curved vertically to suit the curvature of the side frame 17. In addition to the upright posts 21 there is provided a plurality of short or stub vertical posts 51, 52 positioned beneath the window cutout portions of the stampings and on opposite sides of each upright post. There are also provided above such window cutouts, a pair of upper stub posts 53, 54 likewise positioned on opposite sides of the upright posts.

The deadlight panel assembly includes a plurality of channel members 56, 57 disposed on opposite sides of the upright post and embraced between the lower bottom edges of the stampings 38, 39 and members 58, 59 also engaged in a similar manner between the upper marginal edges of the stampings. The channel members 56, 7, 58 and 59 serve as gussets to connect the panels and vertical posts to stub posts 5154 inclusive.

It is observed that the lower channel members 56, 57 project outwardly in a fore and aft direction beyond the lower vertical edges 61, 6'3, a distance sufiicient to enable the same to constitute a splice or connection with the lower belt rail -63, and in a similar manner the upper channel members 58, 59 project longitudinally to enable the same to be spliced to the window header rail 65 defining the upper marginal boundary of the window structure 19.

As seen in FIG. 5 the belt rail 63 includes a pair of Z-shaped members 6 6, 67 having their marginal edges joined in face-to-face contact as by welding and suitably received within slot 71 of ring grommet 70. The latter includes a pair of inner slots 71, 73 to receive inner and outer window panes 74, 75 respectively. The window header rail 65 likewise constitutes a pair of Z-shaped members 77, 78 which are also received in slot 71. As seen in FIG. 2 the outer edges of the end portion belt of rail 63 and header rail 65 may be suitably butt welded along the vertical edges 61 of stampings 38, 39.

From the aforementioned description it will be appreciated that under certain loading conditions of the post imposed by the weight of the roof and other appended structure, the curvature in the post 21 enables the introduction of eccentricities responsible for adding torsion to the post and bending to the belt rail 63 and header rail 65. Since the stub vertical posts 51 to 54 inclusive disposed on opposite sides of upright ost 21 are connected by channel members 56 to 59 inclusive via stampings 38, 39 they are thus able to resist the moments produced by the shear at the point or line of controflexure occurring at an elevation corresponding to the section line 3-3 at about the middle vertical height of the windows. As a consequence it is seen the above described deadlight panel post assembly therefore serves to resist horizontal shear between the roof 16 of the car and the side girder 22 of the underframe body structure of the car.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway car, a roof, an underframe, a curved side frame having a plurality of windows and supporting said roof above said underframe and including a window header rail, a belt rail and a plurality of stub posts disposed above and below said windows, a deadlight structure for said side frame comprising in combination, an upright post extending from said underframe to said roof and having inner and outer faces, a pair of plate members disposed in opposed face-to-face relation and secured to said inner and outer faces of said post, said pair of plate members having cutout portions defining end portions of a pair of adjacent window openings of said side frame and including upper and lower terminal end portions engaging said window header rail and said belt rail, and means secured in sandwiching engagement by the top and bottom marginal edges of said pair of plate means, said last named means being connected tosaid upright post and to said plurality of stub posts above and below said windows.

2 in a railway car, a roof, an underframe, a curved side frame having a plurality of windows and supporting said roof above said underframe and including a window header rail, a belt rail, and a plurality of stub posts disposed above and below said windows, a deadlight structure for said side frame comprising in combination, an upright post extending from said underframe to said roof and having inner and outer faces, a pair of late members disposed in opposed face-to-face relation and secured to said inner and outer faces of said post, said upright post and said pair of plate members having the same curvature as said curved side frame, said pair of plate members having cutout portions defining end portions of a pair of adjacent window openings of said side frame and including upper and lower terminal end portions engaging said window header rail and said belt rail, said plate members including offset flanges delineating said cutout portions and disposed so that the offset flanges of one plate member are in facing engagement with the offset flanges of the other member of said pair, and means secured in sandwiching engagement by the top and bottom marginal edges of said pair of plate means, said last named means being connected to said upright post and to said plurality of stub posts above and below said windows.

3. In a railway car, a roof, an underframe, a curved side frame having a plurality of windows and supporting said roof above said underframe and including a window header rail, a belt rail, and a plurality of stub posts disposed above and below said windows, a deadlight structure for said side frame comprising in combination, an upright post extending from said underframe to said roof and having inner and outer faces, a pair of plate members disposed in opposed face-to-face relation and secured to said inner and outer faces of said post, said upright post and said pair of plate members having the same curvature as said curved side frame, said pair of plate members having cut-out portions defining end portions of a pair of adjacent window openings of said side frame and including upper and lower terminal end portions engaging said window header rail and said belt rail, said plate members including offset flanges delineating said cutout portions and disposed so that the offset flanges of one plate member are in facing engagement with the offset flanges of the other member of said pair, and means secured in sandwiching engagement by the top and bottom marginal edges of said pair of plate means, by said window header rail and by said belt rail, said last named means being connected to said upright post and to said plurality of stub posts above and below said windows.

4. In a railway car, a roof, an underframe, a curved side frame having a plurality of windows and supporting said roof above said underframe and including a window header rail, a belt rail, and a plurality of stub posts disposed above and below said windows, a deadlight structure for said side frame comprising in combination, an upright post extending from said underframe to said roof and having inner and outer faces, a pair of plate members disposed in opposed face-to-face relation and secured to said inner and outer faces of said post, said upright post and said pair of plate members having the same curvature as said curved side frame, said pair of plate members having cutout portions defining end portions of a pair of adjacent window openings of said side frame and including upper and lower terminal end portions engaging said window header rail and said belt rail, said plate members including offset flanges delineating said cutout portions and disposed so that the offset flanges of one plate member are in facing engagement with the offset flanges of the other member of said pair, and chan- 1161 means having opposed flanges secured in sandwiching engagement by the top and bottom marginal edges of said pair of plate means, by said window header rail, and by said belt rail, said channel means being further afiixed to said upright post with its opposed flanges affixed to said plurality of stub posts above and below said WindOWs.

5. In the deadlight panel structure for a railway car as set forth in claim 4 wherein said upright post is of Z-shaped cross-section.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1940 Nystrom 105401 5/1964 Eggert 1()5-401 

1. IN A RAILWAY CAR, A ROOF, AN UNDERFRAME, A CURVED SIDE FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF WINDOWS AND SUPPORTING SAID ROOF ABOVE SAID UNDERFRAME AND INCLUDING A WINDOW HEADER RAIL, A BELT RAIL AND A PLURALITY OF STUB POSTS DISPOSED ABOVE AND BELOW SAID WINDOWS, A DEADLIGHT STRUCTURE FOR SAID SIDE FRAME COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, AN UPRIGHT POST EXTENDING FROM SAID UNDERFRAME TO SAID ROOF AND HAVING INNER AND OUTER FACES, A PAIR OF PLATE MEMBERS DISPOSED IN OPPOSED FACE-TO-FACE RELATION AND SECURED TO SAID INNER AND OUTER FACES OF SAID POST, SAID PAIR OF PLATE MEMBERS HAVING CUTOUT PORTIONS DEFINING END PORTIONS OF A PAIR OF ADJACENT WINDOW OPENINGS OF SAID SIDE FRAME AND INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER TERMINAL END PORTIONS ENGAGING SAID WINDOW HEADER RAIL AND SAID BELT RAIL, AND MEANS SECURED IN SANDWICHING ENGAGEMENT BY THE TOP AND BOTTOM MARGINAL EDGES OF SAID PAIR OF PLATE MEANS, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID UPRIGHT POST AND TO SAID PLURALITY OF STUB POSTS ABOVE AND BELOW SAID WINDOWS. 